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Houston Ballet with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
August 09, 2025
Program

Sat, August 9 • 7:30 p.m.
Amphitheater

Houston Ballet
Rossen Milanov, conductor

ACT I [29']

GISELLE


Generously underwritten by Lynn Wyatt
Act I Divertissements
Choreography by Stanton Welch AM, for Mark
after Jean Coralli (1779-1854) and Jules Perrot (1810- 1892)
Music by Adolphe Adam (1803-1856)

 Bridget Allinson-Kuhns, Tyler Donatelli, Kellen Hornbuckle
Simone Acri, Julian Amir Lacey, Song Teng 

 

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Act III Grand Pas de Deux
Choreography by Ben Stevenson OBE, after Marius Petipa (1818-1910)  
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Costume Design by Desmond Heeley (1931-2016), after Peter Farmer (1936-2017)

 Jacquelyn Long and Naazir Muhammad

 

FLAMES OF PARIS

Pas de Deux
Choreography by Vasily Vainonen
Music by Boris Asafyev

Sayako Toku and Simone Acri


- PAUSE [5'] -

 

FOUR LAST SONGS [27']

Generously underwritten by Kathleen Moore and Steven Homer 

Choreography by Ben Stevenson OBE 
Music by Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
By arrangement with Boosey and Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner
Costume Design by Matthew C. Jacobs
Aubry Ballarò, soprano 

Four Last Songs was choreographed as a tribute to the memory of Winifred Wallace.

 

FRÜHLING (Spring)

Sayako Toku
Song Teng
 

 

SEPTEMBER (September)

Tyler Donatelli
Harper Watters
Naazir Muhammad

 

 BEIM SCHLAFENGEHEN (Going to Sleep)

Bridget Allinson-Kuhns
Julian Amir Lacey

 

IM ABENDROT (At Gloaming)

Estheysis Menendez


This program is made possible by The Craig and Cathrine Greene Family Fund.

Houston Ballet

Artistic Directors

Julie Kent & Stanton Welch AM


Executive Director

Sonja Kostich

 

General Manager

Kelli Gilson

 

Company Manager

Rachael Cierniakoski

 

Ballet Masters

Ian Casady, Amy Fote, Hayden Stark, Steven Woodgate

  

Artists of Houston Ballet

Principal

Harper Watters


First Soloist

Tyler Donatelli, Julian Amir Lacey, Naazir Muhammad


Soloist

Simone Acri, Bridget Allinson-Kuhns, Jacquelyn Long, Sayako Toku


Demi Soloist

Kellen Hornbuckle, Estheysis Menendez


Corps de Ballet

Song Teng

 

Stage Manager

Anna-Marie Monzon

 

Wardrobe Supervisor

Madisyn Gracia

 

Touring Sponsors

Houston Methodist 

The Fayez Sarofim & Co. Touring Fund

Bank of America

 

Acknowledgements

General Counsel: Vinson & Elkins, LLP

Immigration Attorneys: Foster, LLP

The Dancers and Stage Managers of Houston Ballet are represented by The American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO.

Houston Ballet is a member of Dance/USA

Touring Representation: IMG Artists

 

CONTACT

Houston Ballet

601 Preston

Houston, Texas 77002

houstonballet.org

@houstonballet

Four Last Songs translation

Fruhling (Spring)

(Hermann Hesse)

In half-light I waited,

dreamed all too long

Of trees in blossom,

   Those flowing breezes,

That fragrant blue and thrushes song.

 

Now streaming and glowing

From sky to field

With light overflowing

AII these charms are revealed.

 

Light gilds the river,

Light floods the plain;

Spring calls me:

  And through me there quiver

Life's own loveliness

Life's own sweetness returned again!


September (September)

(Hermann Hesse)

These mournful flowers

Rain-drenched in the coolness

  are bending,

While Summer cowers,

Mute as he waits for his ending.

 

Gravely each golden leaf

Falls from the tallest Acacia tree;

Summer marvels and smiles to see

His own garden grow faint with grief.

 

Ling'ring still, near the roses

  Iong he stays,

Longs for repose;

Languid, slow to the last,

his weary eyelids close.


Beim Schlafengehen (Going to sleep)

(Hermann Hesse)

Now the day has wearied me,

AII my gain and all my longing

Like a weary child's shall be

Night whose many stars are thronging.

 

Hands, now leave your work alone;

Brow, forget your idle thinking

All my thoughts, their labour done,

Softly in the sleep are sinking.

 

High the soul will rise in flight,

Freely gliding, softly swaying,

In the magic realm of night.

Deeper Laws of life obeying.


Im Abendrot (at gloaming)

(Joseph von Eichendorff)

Here in both in need and gladness

We wandered hand in hand;

Now let us pause at last

Above the silent land.

 

Dusk comes the vales exploring,

The darkling air grows still,

Alone two skylarks soaring

In song their dreams fulfil.

 

Draw close and leave them singing,

Soon will be time to sleep,

How lost our ways beginning!

This solitude, how deep

 

O rest so long desired!

We sense the night's soft breath

Now we are tired, how tired!

Can this perhaps be death?


English translation by Michael Hamburger © 1950 by Boosey & Co.;

© Renewed 1977. Reprinted by permission of Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.



Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra Roster

2025 Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra 

 

First Violin

Sharon Roffman, Concertmaster—0

   Mischakoff Taylor Concertmaster Chair

Vahn Armstrong, Associate—32

Adrienne Finet—9

Amanda Gates—24

Ming Gao—31

David Hult—46

Olga Dubossarskaya Kaler—31

Lenelle Morse—33

Erica Robinson—37

Anton Shelepov—9

Leslie Frey Anderegg—3

Molly McDonald—0

Kurt Munstedt—0

 

Second Violin

Diane Bruce, Principal–45

Simon Lapointe, Assistant—15

Liana Koteva Kirvan—6

Karen Lord-Powell—15

Jonathan Richards—9

Lara Sipols—23

Marian Tanau—32

Zhe Deng—0

Zhen Liu—0

Timothy Peters—0

 

Viola

Christopher Fischer, Principal—10

Karl Pedersen, Assistant—9

Cynthia Frank—29

Javier Otalora—3

Jennifer Stahl—29

Eva Stern—24

Carrie Fischer—4

 

Cello

Jolyon Pegis, Principal—32

Lars Kirvan, Assistant—9

Igor Gefter—8

Daryl Goldberg—39

Daniel Kaler—1

Maximillian Oppeltz—1

Samuel Pierce-Ruhland—1

 

Bass

Owen Lee, Principal—13

P.J. Cinque, Assistant—5

Kieran Hanlon—6

Caitlyn Kamminga—29

Elizabeth Liotta*

Wendell Rosa*

 

Flute

Richard Sherman, Principal—36

Rita and Dunbar VanDerveer Symphony Principal Chair for Flute

Luke Fitzpatrick—2

Kathryn Levy (piccolo)—49

 

Oboe

Jaren Atherholt, Principal—1

Noah Kay—1

Adam Dinitz (English Horn)—2

 

Clarinet

Will Amsel, Principal* (6/26-8/19)

Olivia Hamilton—1

Daniel Spitzer (bass)—10

 

Bassoon

Jeffrey Robinson, Principal—21

Elise Wagner* (6/26-8/3)

Kathleen McLean* (8/4-8/19)

Karl Vilcins*

 

Horn

Roger Kaza, Principal—23

William Bernatis, Assistant—27

Donna Dolson—41

Daniel Kerdelewicz—1

Mark Robbins—41

 

Trumpet

Micah Wilkinson, Principal—2

Peter Lindblom, Assistant—33

Leslie Linn—27

 

Trombone

Nicola Abissi, Principal* (6/26-7/4)

Colin Williams, Principal* (7/5-7/10)

Douglas Wright, Principal* (7/22-7/26)

Gracie Potter, Principal* (7/31-8/19)

Christopher Wolf—10

Eric Lindblom (bass)—19

 

Tuba

Cristina Cutts Dougherty, Principal—0

 

Percussion

Brian Kushmaul, Principal—31

Thomas Blanchard, Assistant—28

Pedro Fernandez—7

 

Timpani

Matthew Strauss, Principal—0

 

Harp

Nancy Lendrim, Principal* (6/27-7/24)

Jody Guinn, Principal*

Alexis Colner, Principal* (8/9-8/23)

 

Fellows

Violins

Laura Herrera

Gabrielle Monachino

 

Violas

Camila Berg

Pedro Mendez

 

Cello

Keeon Guzman

 

Bass

Caleb Edwards

 

Members on Leave

Ben Atherholt

Stanislav Chernyshev

David Rosi

 

Substitute and Extra Musicians

The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra would like to acknowledge and thank its many substitute and extra musicians for their service.

 

Librarians

Lara Sipols, Principal

Adrienne Finet, Associate

Margaret Cooper, Assistant

Becky Mack, Assistant

Javier Otalora, Assistant

InYoung Park, Assistant

 

Administration

Kimberly Schuette, Managing Director

Amanda Gates, Personnel Manager

Cole Maddux, Stage Manager

 

Notes

Numbers after names indicate years as members of the CSO prior to 2025.

 

*Indicates guest musician for 2025

 

 

Donor Recognition

We are grateful for the support of the following donors and permanent endowment funds held by Chautauqua Foundation, ensuring the continuation of classical music at Chautauqua through the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.

 

Clement and Karen Arrison Endowment for Classical Violin

Jane and Tom Becker Endowment for Amphitheater Programs

Maggie Bella Symphony Orchestra Endowment Fund

Cheryl Bintz

The Boyle Family Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

The Bromeley Family Fund

The Carnahan-Jackson Foundation Fund for Chautauqua

The Mary Peterson Chalfant Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

The Chautauqua/Jamestown Fund for Education, Religion and the Performing Arts

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra Endowment Fund

The Carl and Lee Chaverin Fund

Emily McKnight Corry Endowment

CSO Diversity Fellows

The Barbara Baldwin DeFrees Fund for the Performing Arts

Geller Family Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony

Heitzenrater Family Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra Fund

The Jane Robb Shaw Hirsh Endowment

Janet Holton and Philip I. Haber

Norma and David Ingram

Institution Symphony Orchestra Fund

The William M. Kinley Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

William D. Kuhns Fund for General Music Purposes of Chautauqua Institution

Robert and Susan Laubach Endowment

The Jim and Lynn Levinson Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Kathryn A. and David B. Levy Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Locke-Irwin Fund

Helen T. Logan Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Linda and Saul Ludwig Endowment

Ernest Mahaffey

Yvonne and Jack McCredie

Miller-Beggerow Fund in honor of Cornelia Chason Miller

The Lewis Miller Memorial Fund

Mr. &  Mrs. Sam A. Miller and Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Babcox Memorial Fund  

The Mischakoff/Taylor Concertmaster Chair Fund

Music School Festival Orchestra Fund

Frances and George Newman Endowment for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Margaret Miller Newman Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

The David B. and Barbara Barrett Orr Music Fund

Av and Janet Posner Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

The Reinberger Fund for the Performing Arts

Philip and Rachel Rogers

The Gertrude Aldredge Shelburne Fund

The Julia and Ralph C. Sheldon, Jr. Fund for the Performing Arts

Dan and Linda Silverberg Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra Endowment

The Dr. James and Mary Anne Evans Singleton Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Patron Endowment Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

The Walter L. and Martha Tinkham Miller Fund

The Trustees' Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Rita and Dunbar VanDerveer Symphony Principal Chair for Flute

Katherine Baldridge Warman and Guy L. Warman Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra Fund

Mary E. Whitaker Symphony Endowment Fund

The Wilder Family Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Nora J. Williams Symphony Fund

Dent and Joan Williamson Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra